Privacy notice for Electoral Services
Personal data held by Electoral Services
In order to organise elections and referendums and compile the Register of Electors we hold personal data about you. This information may include:
- Basic personal information such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, national insurance number
- Unique identifiers (such as national insurance number). Signatures for absent vote checking
- Scanned application forms, documentary evidence, dates of any letters of correspondence
- Notes about any relevant circumstances that you have told us
- Your previous or any redirected address
- If you are over 76 or 16/17 years of age
- Whether you have chosen to opt out of the open version of the register
- Details about your household composition
Who is processing my data?
All personal data held, is processed in accordance with data protection law. The Electoral Registration Officer is the Data Controller: C J Hegarty, Malvern Hills District Council, Council House, Avenue Road, Malvern, WR14 3AF
How will we use the information we hold about you?
We will collect information about you (where applicable):
- Organising all types of elections and referendums within Malvern Hills
- Compiling and maintaining the Register of Electors
- Dealing with monthly registrations to be included on the register and applications to vote by post
- Boundary and community governance reviews and electoral arrangements
- Promoting participation in our democratic processes
What is the legal basis for us to process your data?
The legal basis for processing the data is:
- It is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and exercise of official authority as vested in Electoral Registration Officer to comply with the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and the Representation of the People Act 1983 and associated regulations
Who we will share your information with
The information you provide is held in electoral registers which are managed by an Electoral Registration Officer who, using the information received, maintains two registers – the full electoral register and the open register.
The full register is published once a year and is updated every month and can only be supplied to people and organisations permitted by law, e.g.:
- British Library • UK Statistics Authority
- Electoral Commission
- Boundary Commission for England
- Jury Summoning Bureau
- Elected Representatives (MP, MEPS, Local Councillors), Registered Political Parties and Registered Third Party Organisations
- Police and Crime Commissioner • Candidates standing for elections
- The council
- Parish and community councils
- Police Forces, National Crime Agency
- Public library or local authority archive services
- Government departments or bodies
- Credit Reference Agencies
- National Fraud Initiative
- Electoral Registration and returning officers
We also have to disclose (share) your information with our Software providers and contracted printers.
Anyone can inspect the full electoral register.
- Inspection of the register will be under supervision
- They can take extracts from the register, but only by hand written notes
- Information taken must not be used for direct marketing purposes, in accordance with data protection legislation, unless it has been published in the open version
- Anyone who fails to observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence and will be charged a penalty of up to £5,000
The open register contains the same information as the full register, but is not used for elections or referendums. It is updated and published every month and can be sold to any person, organisation or company for a wide range of purposes. It is used by businesses and charities for checking names and address details; users of the register include direct marketing firms and also online directory firms.
You can choose whether or not to have your personal details included in the open version of the register; however, they will be included unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register will not affect your right to vote.
There may be certain circumstances where we would share your details without consent such as where we are required to do so by law, to safeguard public safety, and in risk of harm or emergency situations. Any information which is shared will only be shared on a need to know basis, with appropriate individuals. Only the minimum information for the purpose will be shared.
To verify your identity, the data you provide will be processed by Contents General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) update Information on IER Digital Service privacy notice requirements and on Commission guidance updates. EU Referendum: update on progress with processing fees and charges claims An update on progress with processing Counting Officers’ fees and charges claims from the EU Referendum. EA Bulletins are issued on a regular basis. They are one of our key channels for communicating with Returning Officers, Electoral Registration Officers and their staff. Past issues of Bulletins for England, Scotland and Wales are available here. You can also subscribe to the EA Bulletins. Please keep us informed of any staff changes within your team. This will help us to keep our mailing lists up-to-date. the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service managed by the Cabinet Office. As part of this process your data will be shared with the Department of Work and Pensions and the Cabinet Office suppliers that are data processors for the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service.
You can find more information about this here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
How long do we keep your records
We will only keep your information for the minimum period necessary. The information outlined in this privacy notice will be kept in accordance with our retention schedule. All information will be held securely and destroyed under confidential conditions.
Your rights
You have a number of rights under data protection law, including the right to request your information and to request that the information be amended or erased if incorrect.
To request your records, you will need to put your request in writing and provide proof of identification to The Data Protection Officer, Wychavon and Malvern Hills District Council shared Legal Service, Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1PT or via email,
You also have a right to make a complaint about our handling of your personal data to the Information Commissioner’s Office https://ico.org.uk/
Providing accurate information
It is important that we hold accurate and up to date information about you in order to deliver the appropriate services. If any of your details have changed, or change in the future, please ensure that you inform us as soon as possible so that we can update your records, please email
Further information
If you have any questions or concerns about how your information is used, please contact Meesha Patel, Legal Services Manager at Wychavon and Malvern Hills District Council shared Legal Service, Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1PT More information about data protection and how it applies to you can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website